Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

As a spiritual director and retreat leader, encouragement is one aspect of ministry.  Actually, encouragement is needed to be given and received from the minute we are born. I am reminded of this life support virtue as I read a friend's weekly blog. Not what she wrote as I prepare my blog entry but something I occasionally remind her about especially when she creates a conversation with her dog.  These blog entries have beautiful faith and moral implications. My friend as already authored two books and my encouragement is that she consider writing books for children using the 'doggie' posts.  I can almost see the pictures that would go with these stories. Each of us both need to give and receive encouragement.  Sometimes we may push back when another offers this to us.  Yet, with gratitude we need to be open to what is being said. The other person just may be drawing out of us a gift of the Holy Spirit we didn't know was in us. What...

Today my prayer took me to Psalm 139, where I am reminded that God knows me better than I know myself.  Yes, God knows the very depths of my being.  The Spirit of God is not passive, waiting in the background, but is very active, and is ready to help each of us to know God, and also ourselves.  We can gather all the human knowledge we want on our own, but to know God, to know our true inner selves, we have to be open to the Spirit.  We cannot do it on our own.  Before God, we are always humble.  So we ask the Spirit for help—the Spirit, always eager to help us. Then what?  Again, we need the Spirit’s help to know how to best use this knowledge and the gifts we have been given.  We are called to be active and eager, too, in our response.  The Spirit can’t use our gifts unless we cooperate.  We have to say yes.  Sometimes it can be tempting to see how our gifts enhance our own reputation or our standing with othe...